Engineer in fatal L.A. train wreck allowed teens in control room

LOS ANGELES — The engineer suspected of causing a Southern California commuter train crash that killed 25 allowed rail enthusiasts into the cab of moving trains and let them sit at the controls, according to text messages released Tuesday at a hearing by federal investigators.

Two days before the Sept. 12 crash, Metrolink engineer Robert Sanchez sent a cell-phone text message arranging another ride-along on the day of the crash.

Planning for the evening ride-along, Sanchez sent a message to one of the enthusiasts: "yea...but I'm REALLY looking forward to getting you in the cab and showing you how to run a locomotive."

Sanchez answered: "I'm gonna do all the radio talkin'...ur gonna run the locomotive & I'm gonna tell u how to do it."

Although it does not appear Sanchez had riders in the cab when his train crashed into a Union Pacific freight train sharing the same track, he made plans to allow the rail buffs onboard that evening, the records show.

The new details emerged from the National Transportation Safety Board, which opened a two-day hearing on the collision that killed Sanchez and injured 135.

----------

More details on train crash

Full coverage of the Metrolink accident is at chicagotribune.com/metrolink